Beginner Tunes

Cluck Old Hen–Beginner and Groove Cluck Old Hen is one of my favorite warm up tunes. It has a good groove. Then, you come to the left hand plucking part. “We like to pluck when we cluck.” Those who sing of the Hen, say: My old hen’s a good old hen She lays eggs for […]

Strawberry Blossom Simple and Ornamented Strawberry Blossom is a short fiddle tune, unlike Blackberry Blossom, Apple Blossom, or even Orange Blossom Special. Blackberry and Apple are normal fiddle tunes. And Orange is a three part tune that also includes a 12 bar blues song in between. All make up a fun bouquet of blossoms. O’Neill’s […]

The Huntsman’s Chorus in Fiddle Tab Have you ever heard a fiddle tune for the first time and said, “Whoa! That’s a fiddle tune?” That was me sitting up quickly as I head Lissa Schneckenburger play The Huntsman’s Chorus on her CD album, Dance. Before going on with the Huntsman’s Chorus I need to say […]

A Child’s Song, a Jig–Pop Goes the Weasel Looking over my list of tunes in the Fiddle Tune Directory, I see a shortage of real beginner tunes. Pop Goes the Weasel is a tune requested by my younger students. It’s a jig, it’s a children’s song, but it isn’t easy. And yet, because it is […]

This Jingle Bells is in the key of G. That’s a better key for singing than A. On the other hand, A would allow easy use of the open E string for drones. Then again, maybe F would be the best key for singing. I like F for fiddle tunes, but beginners are not familiar […]